I have been asked this question quite a few times and yet I don't really have a solid answer. A year ago I was looking through every study abroad website I could find looking at different programs. At first I was sure I wanted to go to Tokyo. I studied Japanese for 8 years and have the goal of being fluent. After looking at multiple programs, I just couldn't find one that offered what I needed. The biggest thing for me was finding somewhere with courses that would contribute to my majors at VWU. After searching through more programs, I decided I would try to find somewhere close to home. I found a program in Suva, Fiji which I figured would be best because they offered similar courses to VWU. After discussing this with the VWU Lighthouse, we came to the conclusion that the courses were too similar which partially defeats the purpose of studying abroad.
At this point I had no idea where to even start looking. I investigated Ireland because my family is Irish, but I knew I didn't want to go to a country like Australia or the US. I quickly realised that I was seeking something completely different to what I've already seen. When looking on the ISA website, I found a program at ACG in Athens. Greece has more history than pretty much any other country in the world which is certainly different to Australia. I also got the impression that there was a well defined Greek culture which would allow me to live in a society which operated differently from what I'm used to. I also am very interested in language (I want to be a speech pathologist) so going to a non-English speaking country was attractive to me.
I will also admit that a large part of my attraction to Greece is that my sister and I have always wanted to visit the Greek Islands. I think that when I told most people I was going to Greece they immediately imagine Santorini or Mykonos. I knew I wanted to visit these places but I also had a desire to see what else Greece had to offer. (Hint: there's a lot in mainland Greece that everyone needs to see, I'll discuss this more in a future post)
After being here for a little over a month, I can easily say I made a good decision. I have seen so many beautiful places and learnt so much about another culture. In learning about another country, I have also learnt a lot about myself. I still have around 3 months left in this beautiful country and I can't wait to soak up even more of the Greek culture.
I don't think I've really found any hidden treasures yet (maybe Nafplio) but I have been asking locals for advice and have made some plans. I think that I might try to make a trip to Hydra and Meteora based on what people have told me. I have an upcoming day trip with the Environmental Club at college so I might find some cool places then!
I am glad to hear you think you made the right decision. Have you been able to explore any hidden treasures of Greece?
Also thank you so much! I’ve been trying to teach myself some basic photography here
I think for me it was more that I didn’t know what Greece had to offer. The only recent pictures I had seen were all of the islands. In some ways this made me hesitant but in other ways it intrigued me. I think another (much smaller) factor was that multiple people had told me that men here treat women awfully and that put me off. Knowing that it has a lot to do with perspective, I knew I had to take it with a grain of salt and it honestly isn’t that bad in my opinion.
Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous! I understand what you mean about wanting to find a place that caters to what you need to accomplish while also being just different enough to make the experience worth while. Did you have any reasons that made going to Greece seem a little questionable that you had to get over?